Pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced on Nov. 18 that its experimental coronavirus vaccine had “met all of its primary efficacy endpoints.” Pfizer and German partner BioNTech would be applying “within days” to the Food and Drug Administration for an emergency use authorization, which “allow[s] unapproved medical products to be used during a public health emergency when there are no other adequate, approved, or available alternatives.”

Pfizer’s announcement was coupled with news that competitor Moderna has also developed a vaccine that has done well in phase 3 trials, and both have reported an effectiveness of over 94% in preventing COVID-19. It means that we are quickly moving from the “race for the cure” phase of the global pandemic into the “race to deliver it” phase.